The present invention concerns the general technical field of electrical food processors and relates more particularly to storage of the accessories of these appliances.
It is known to produce boxes for storing the accessories of an electrical food processor, having a housing closed by a lid. However, when the surface of the lid is sufficient to serve as a support for the corresponding appliance, the rigidity of the lid is then insufficient to usefully permit such a utilization.
The object of the present invention is to provide a storage for the rotateable working accessories of an electrical food processor, being able to serve as the base of said appliance, and the fabrication of which is economical.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a storage for the rotateable working accessories of an electrical food processor, of which the sensitivity to vibrations is reduced.
These objects are achieved with a box for storing the working accessories of an electrical food processor, composed of a base including a lower resting surface and a lid, comprising an upper surface designed to receive an electrical food processor, by the fact that an inner surface of the base, respectively an inner surface of the lid, comprises at least one configuration whereon are arranged non-peripheral support means designed to cooperate with an inner surface of the lid or with non-peripheral support means complementarily arranged on a configuration of the inner surface of the lid, respectively with an inner surface of the base, when the lid closes the base. The contact between the non-peripheral support means and the inner surface disposed in a facing relation can be obtained upon closing of the storage box, or in the presence of the appliance disposed on the upper surface of the lid. Due to the non-peripheral support means, disposed beyond the periphery of the lid and the base, flexure of the lid can be limited when an electrical food processor is disposed on said box. By this fact, the thicknesses of the lid and of the base can be reduced. This arrangement permits reduction of the cycle time for molding of the lid and the base, as well as the quantities of material necessary. Moreover, the presence of non-peripheral support means permits easier use of plastic materials other than the plastic materials considered to be rigid, such as ABS or SAN. The utilization of polypropylene or of polyethylene can for example be envisioned. Less rigid materials present the advantage of a better damping of vibrations, which permits noise to be limited when an electrical food processor is utilized on the storage box.
According to one embodiment, the non-peripheral support means of the configuration or of at least one of the configurations are arranged in a zone comprised between the center of the inner surface and a third of the distance to the lateral edge of the base or of the lid. A support in the central zone effectively permits flexure of the lid to be limited. According to another embodiment, three configurations are arranged in a triangle around the center of the inner surface of the base or of the lid, the non-peripheral support means of two configurations and the center having an angle comprised between 60 and 150 degrees. According to another embodiment the center of the inner surface is disposed between two configurations furnished with non-peripheral support means. Such supports equally permit flexure of the lid to be effectively limited.
Advantageously the configuration or at least one of the configurations of the base presents a lateral support zone with a lateral support zone of the configuration or at least one of the configurations of the lid. This arrangement improves the connection between the base and the lid.
Advantageously then the configuration or at least one of said configurations is transversally flexible. This arrangement permits achieving lateral immobilization of the lid with respect to the base, and thus to reduce the phenomena of vibration in the storage box generated by the household electrical appliance disposed on said box. Said configuration can particularly be tubular.
Advantageously in order to facilitate the storage of accessories, the configuration or at least one of the configurations of the base and/or the configuration or at least one of the configurations of the lid is provided to serve as a support for a rotateable working tool of the electrical food processor.
According to an advantageous configuration the base and the lid form two half-shells, this arrangement permitting an improvement in the rigidity of the storage box.
Advantageously also, the lid has on the upper surface an opening permitting the introduction of a finger to actuate a moveable and/or elastic piece of the lid, respectively of the base, having attachment means provided to cooperate with holding means of the base, respectively of the lid. This arrangement permits the box and the lid to be fastened together while facilitating unlocking.
Advantageously then the upper surface of the lid has two openings disposed to one side and the other of the center of the lid and two parallel pieces in the form of tongues, extending from the inner surface of the lid, are disposed between the openings, the attachment means being arranged on the surfaces of the pieces disposed to the side of the openings. The user can then introduce the thumb and index finger in order to unlock the lid from the base.